


The Guardians

by TheLovelyPatronus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:08:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26888641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLovelyPatronus/pseuds/TheLovelyPatronus
Summary: Dreams are just our subconscious' way of working through our traumas right? Not always. When Hermione gets thrown into the deep end of a millennia's old prophecy, it forces five unsuspecting magicals together. Their Mission? Restore the balance that Tom Riddle so thoroughly buggered. Magic depends on them, the wizarding world not quite prepared for them.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 12
Kudos: 65
Collections: Mermaids Werewolves Veela — Oh My! A Creature Harmony Halloween Competition





	The Guardians

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:**
> 
> "You have blood on your collar, did you know? Just there."  
> ___________________________________________
> 
> This piece was written for A Creature Harmony Halloween Competition hosted by Harmony & Co. all canon characters, plots, dialogue, and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I am not profiting from this work.

_In the beginning…_

  
  


The woman stood in the middle of a circle made up of five of her most trusted, one for each point of the sacred pentagram. The full moon shined down, bathing them in her diamond glow. 

Hecate was dressed in a shimmering white robe, the fabric looked to have been spun out of the very magic that she wielded. Her black hair reached out to the wind that circled her as if to say “lets play”. Her blue eyes widened and turned milky white as the prophecy hit her, the timing of which was dubious at best, as she was preparing to sacrifice her magic this night.

“ _The final battle comes and goes. The dark lord defeated. The work is not yet done. Magic corrupted, gifts left to die. The one with the power to restore the balance approaches. The power released when the wolf awakens. Free the gifts, restore the guardians….Free the gifts, restore the guardians.”_

Her eyes cleared, coming back to their icy blue stare as she looked upon the five men and women she had chosen to receive her gifts. Salazar stared back at her, his eyebrows slanted down in obvious concern.

“Are you sure about this, my queen?” he asked as he anticipated her answer and knelt down in the circle they had carved for this very purpose. The other four followed his lead.

“There are no other souls I would trust with this purpose. Salazar Slytherin, my most trusted advisor. Godric Gryffindor, my most valiant knight. Rowena Ravenclaw, my very best friend, my most wise teacher. Helga Hufflepuff, my most treasured conscience. And finally, Merlin, my lover, my king, and my soul's match. You five have been chosen by Fate to receive the gifts of my magic. 

“To you, Salazar, I give the gift of sorcery, through you it will spread across the globe, all will be my children, all will know my love.” She smiled at Salazar who knelt further in his gratitude, she turned clockwise to Godric.

“To you, Godric, I give the gift of the wolf. It is a true magical gift, only given through a bite. Those who carry the mark of the wolf will be the most deeply connected to the moon and the most powerful when she is full and smiling down upon you.” Godric shivered as her words washed over him. She continued on. 

“To you, Merlin, I give the power of blood. The very life force that drives us all, that flows within us. You will live longer than all of my children and in doing so, you will be blessed. Blood flows through you and so it will power you.” Merlin felt a tear slide down his face as he accepted her gift to him.

“To you, Rowena, I give the gift of transformation. From this day forward you shall be able to take the shape of any creature you wish. You and all of your children will understand all that is not yet understood.” Rowena inhaled sharply but did not speak. The very thought of the gift bestowed on her this night was too much to take in. Hecate continued to the last of her circle.

“To you, Helga, I give the gift of earth, with this gift you will nurture our Mother. Your children will guard her safety and you will punish anyone who seeks to harm her.” Helga whimpered and dug her fingers into the earth feeling the Mother’s joy at finally being heard. 

Hecate spun seven times in the circle, with each turn magic flowed out of her and into her vassals. Each of them taking on a jewel like glow. 

Emerald for Helga, the guardian of the earth. Sapphire for Rowena, guardian of the creatures. Ruby for Merlin, Guardian of blood. Blinding white for Godric, Guardian of the moon. And finally, silver for Salazar, Guardian of them all. 

“Blessed be you are, my most trusted companions, for it is your duty to protect magic, it is your duty to keep it pure, and it is your duty to cut out the evil that will soon try to take it from us. You must pass these gifts down to prepare your children and their children for what is to come. I do not know when, but one day these gifts will be needed to restore what has been lost. Our circle is open and yet it remains unbroken.” Hecate stepped away from them all, leaving a leatherbound journal where she had stood. 

None of them had seen her go, still kneeling in their places in the pentagram but when they had risen, she was gone and would never be heard from again. 

Hecate walked further and further into the woods until she could walk no more. Her legs had given out from under her, she had no more magic to heal her. She had sacrificed it all. As she lay, dying beneath the canopy of green, the sun beaming down on her between the cracks, the first rays of morning just showing themselves. She turned and looked to the future.

“It is time, my child. Free the gifts, restore the guardians.” The words had come on her final breath, traveling on the wind as the roots of the trees reared up and embraced her, pulling her body into the ground and her soul into the After where she could finally rest.

* * *

_October 31st, 1998_

Hermione awoke with a pounding heart, hand clutched to her chest, her breaths ragged, and her eyes filling with tears. The words of her dream repeating over and over in her head.

“ _Free the gifts, restore the guardians”_

What did it mean? One thing was certain, this was no ordinary dream. This was a message. She could feel the truth of it in her bones. She grabbed her journal and pen, kept on her nightstand for this exact purpose. Her mother had always said that dreams held important information and this one felt particularly life changing.

She wrote down the prophecy first, before the details began to fade. The names of the guardians came second and then she listed every detail she could remember including the ages they appeared to be. All of them had been at least seventeen to twenty years old, except Hecate who appeared ageless, her eyes had seemed ancient where the rest of her appeared to be just as young as her circle.

The most important detail being the journal left behind once Hecate’s ritual was complete. The journal had caught her attention because the cover was designed with the druid tree of life burned into the leather. Instead of the standard design, however, this one had only five branches, all curved towards a depiction of Solomon's knot. This symbol, she knew, represented the union between humanity and the divine. 

She’d have to find it, although how she was to go about finding an ancient journal was beyond her. It had to be at least two thousand years old and Morgana only knew where it might be. The first place to start, the only place to start really, would be the descendants of the original five. There was work to be done, and unfortunately, she quickly figured out that her most anticipated eighth year would be taking a back seat to the very obvious mission that had been dumped quite literally into her subconscious.

_The bank!_ She thought to herself. The goblin’s had hoarded knowledge of magic, their libraries were the most extensive on the planet. Not to mention that they were the only authority on lines of succession. They guarded the secrets of their blood magic more zealously than even the gold in the vaults. The real problem, Hermione thought, would be convincing them that she could be trusted inside the walls of Gringotts. She had broken in and then escaped on a dragon, after all.

First though, she’d need help and who better than Harry? Her very best friend and the man who had saved her life almost as often as she had his.

She jumped out of bed clutching her journal with her. No thought to the early morning hour or that her best friend might be asleep. Not even to the fact that she was barely covered in just a short night dress which barely came to mid thigh. 

She hurried down the stairs from the recently created eighth year girls dorm, across the common room which was blissfully empty, and up the stairs to the eighth year boys dorms. 

Harry's bed was closest to the door, with only Neville and Seamus returning for their final year, it was easy to sneak in. She tiptoed to his bed, casting a silencing charm on the curtains and jumped in, landing square on Harry's stomach with both of her knees. 

He shot up from the bed, wand in hand pulled from underneath his pillow, he pointed it directly between Hermione's eyes. Her eyes crossed adorably, looking at the glowing red tip of the wand.

"Merlins balls, Mione! Are you trying to get yourself killed? We're barely six months out from the war! What are you thinking?!" 

He dropped his wand and rubbed his eyes with a tired groan. "What time is it anyway?" 

"Just passed five. I need to show you something. It couldn't wait." she moved closer to him, her dream journal clutched in her white knuckled hands.

Harry, being very much an eighteen year old who had very little experience in such things, noticed two things right away. One, her night dress had ridden all the way to just under her bum which therefore exposed a great deal of her smooth thighs. The second thing he noticed was that it must have been very chilly on her way to his dorm and her thin sleepwear was doing nothing to hide that fact. 

He felt the heat rise to his face and quickly lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. Too late, she had noticed and now she was grinning at him. 

“See something you like, Potter?” she barked out laugh again when his eyes widened and his expression morphed to one of a deer caught in the headlights of a car. She leaned in so that her face was barely an inch from his.

Wether it was hormones, years of pining after her, or just simply having already died once and therefore not having a single fuck to give for consequences, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

Hermione inhaled sharply, wrapping her arms around his neck as her eyes fluttered shut. She pulled him closer. _Finally! You utter tosser, I’ve only been shoving signals in your face for five years._ She laughed into his mouth, causing him to open his in surprise and giving her the perfect opportunity to slip her tongue inside.

All coherent thought left Harry and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her on top of him so that her thighs clenched deliciously around his hips. He flipped them over, his weight resting on his elbows, his very _substantial_ arousal pressing against her center. She moaned and the sound sent a bolt of animalistic want into his brain and promptly shot down to his prick. 

Harry tore off his boxers, happily discovering that Hermione slept sans underwear. There were no words exchanged. Only ragged breaths, guttural groans, and magic weaving between them now. Their fingers clenching, toes curling, and a bone deep feeling of rightness were the only things to be spared a modicum of acknowledgement. This was thousands of years of instinct coursing between them as they came together. The silenced curtain straining under the magic flowing between them, through them, wild and uninhibited. 

He was inside of her both physically and spiritually. Harry rather thought that this was close as he would probably ever come to a religious experience. 

Hermione arched her back, bringing him to a deeper angle as she became more aggressive in her quest for dominance over his tongue. It was at that moment that Harry felt an uncomfortable vibration in his teeth. Magic moved him, urging him on to complete the ritual they had unwittingly begun. 

He moved his head to the place where her neck curved and inhaled sharply through his nose. She smelled of forest and wildberries with a layer of musk, signaling her arousal. It was that scent that drove him on. It was so distinctly Hermione, he thought, as his tongue swept across the smooth skin of her shoulder.

Distantly Hermone registered that the area he licked had gone numb, fortunately, she was too far gone to care. She was almost there, he was touching the very essence of her and she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. Her legs tightened around him and she screamed out as Harry sunk his teeth into her shoulder. She clenched hard around his length as he followed her over the edge. 

His teeth didn’t leave her shoulder until the cloud of smoky blue magic neither had noticed dissipated, leaving them in a satiated heap. Harry rolled over on his back and stared up at the canopy as her head rested on his shoulder she looked up at him and smiled.

“You have blood on your collar, did you know? Just there.” The smile never left her face. She put her head on Harry's chest, his arm around her and quietly fell back to sleep as Harry’s fingers traced gentle lines up and down her arm.

* * *

_That Morning // Slytherin Boys Dorms_

Draco awoke with a groan, looking over at his everlasting tempus charm to find that he had risen an hour before his alarm was set to go off. Annoyed already and the day hadn’t even properly started yet. He proceeded with his morning routine. After his shower he grabbed his arithmancy book and made his way to the fluffy green armchair situated right by the window wall that looked out into the black lake.

The squid swam lazily by, extending a tentacle in greeting. Daco smiled and began reading in order to prepare for the quiz Professor Vector had warned them was coming. It was only during that quiz in fifth period, that Draco realized that he had not eaten a single thing that day. Even more curious, he was not hungry even now, six hours since he should have had his breakfast.

He was in fact very thirsty and would soon find out that nothing he could find on the tables in the great hall would quench it.

\--------

_That Morning // Gryffindor Boys Dorm_

As Harry and Hermione slept, Neville awoke to find that the wolfsbane he had been growing to help Madam Pomfrey supply potions to his classmates who were unfortunate enough to cross paths with Fenrir Geryback during the war curling around the upper half of his body. It was caressing him, its joy at having such a component caretaker radiating from its leaves.

Neville brought one of the plant's thin branches up to his face to examine the purple flowers popping up from every bud and found it growing longer in his hands. He untangled himself quickly and got dressed, preparing to bring the quickly growing plant to the greenhouses. 

Making his way through the castle, the pot clutched tightly in his hand as hundreds of vines trailed out behind him, Neville sped up a bit. The life in his hands was growing agitated as the clay became too small to contain the abundance of roots growing too quickly to contain. It would explode in his hands in seconds, he could feel it coming.

“Stop Growing so fast!” He hissed out in desperation, to his great surprise, the plant listened to his command and stilled. The vines reared up and wrapped around him. _All you had to do was ask._ It whispered into his mind. 

By the time he made it to the greenhouses, he resembled more tree than man. The branches had wrapped around him lovingly. Purple flowers framing his eyes and mouth. Fluttering in the breeze that came through the windows.

He set to work digging out a large hole in a new section of the green house that had not housed any plants yet. All the while the everlasting rose bushes tinkled at him, the lunar lilies bent towards him, and the mandrake plants whispered excitedly to each other. The earth under his fingers told him secrets and the Mother expressed her joy at being heard again. 

\---------

_That Morning // Ravenclaw Seventh Year Girls Dorms_

Luna woke with a smile on her face. It had begun. The prophecy her mother had told as a bedtime story in her childhood replayed in her head. It brought her immense comfort.

_Free the gifts...Restore the Guardians._

Finally, it was time. She had been waiting since her first year to begin this adventure. She couldn’t believe it was finally time. Her core stirred. Today she felt very much like a hippogriff. Wild, free, light, but most of all, proud.

She got dressed and made her way to the forbidden forest where she shed her clothes and shifted into a perfect likeness of Buckbeak. Her eyes however, glowed an otherworldly sapphire blue. Last week she had enjoyed the company of the thestrals, their somber personalities bringing her comfort when the memories of the last year surged back.

Today though… Today she was sure of many things. She was sure that everything was about to change. She was sure that no one was ready for what was to come. She was most sure, however, of the fact that the Guardians would bring the wizarding world to its knees.

* * *

Harry woke first, the last tendrils of his delicious dream fading in the light of the morning streaming in between his curtains. He sighed, wondering if it would ever come true. He rolled over, his arm coming to rest on soft, smooth skin. His eyes popped open then and he realized his dream had been all too real. 

Hermione nuzzled deeper, her head buried in his chest, she inhaled deeply, moaned and opened her eyes. Smiling peacefully at Harry, she moved up and placed a gentle kiss on his mouth. 

"I'd love to help you resolve your current predicament but I came here with a purpose, Harry." she reached over to grab her journal which was digging into her back from the spot she had abandoned it earlier this morning. 

"I need you to read through my dream from last night. It's important, I just know it." she handed the book to Harry who was still processing that his best friend had her thigh pressed up against his morning hardness. 

He took the book and flipped to the last three pages. It took him a few minutes but finally he snapped it shut and turned to Hermione. 

"Another bloody prophecy? Perfect, it seems we're destined to never have a peaceful year in this castle." he snorted and rolled onto his back. 

"What's your plan here? What's our first step?" he asked. After all, planning had always been Hermione's area of expertise, even though it rarely survived engagement. 

"I think we need to speak to McGonagall. This feels important and I don't want our schoolwork to suffer. I know for a fact she'll be more forthcoming than Dumbledore ever was." With that, she crawled out of bed, adjusted her nightgown and made her way to the door. 

"Get dressed, Harry. I'll meet you by the portrait in ten minutes." she hurried out of the dorm and into her own. 

Putting herself together in record time, she hurried downstairs to wait for Harry. They had an hour before classes started so she hurried him along, dragging him by the hand in her wake to headmistress McGonagall's office. 

Minerva opened the door as Hermione was preparing to knock, seemingly headed to breakfast.

“Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter. To what do I owe the pleasure? No smuggled baby dragons I hope.” Her lips quirked up in an almost smile.

“No, professor. I need to discuss something with you. I was hoping you’d have some time to spare this morning, I don’t think it can wait.” McGonagall swung her door open, gesturing them inside. It seemed there’d never be a peaceful year while Potter was within the castle walls.

She’d be in for a surprise shortly, as she read the dream journal and realized this year's trouble had followed her favorite student instead. After rereading the pages for the third time, she turned to Hermione, her eyebrows high on her forehead.

“I just want one normal year. Is that too much to ask? Just one year where all we have to worry about is shining my quidditch trophy and beating Slytherin for the house cup.” She sighed and looked at Hermione and then turned to Harry.

“We should lock you up for your own safety every Halloween, Potter.” She rolled her eyes and released a greatly put upon sigh.

“Well, you’ll have to go to Gringotts first, there is no one better than the goblins when it comes to tracing bloodlines.” Before Hermione or Harry could ask about the journal, she stood up and walked to her fireplace, throwing in some floo powder from the pot on the mantle.

“Gringotts, Account manager Fangtooth’s office.” The flames turned green and a goblin's head emerged from the fire.

“What can I do for you this morning, Professor McGonagall?”

“In about half an hour, two of my students will be coming through. I need your most thorough researcher and your most trusted blood mage to assist them. You will find that it is imperative that this stays between us until the time comes to release the information.” She spoke curtly, leaving no room for questions or rejection. 

“Right away, Sharprock will be waiting for them by the floo’s. Are their identities a secret?” he asked.

“Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. I understand they might not be the most welcome guests but I suggest you give this matter your undivided attention Fangtooth, our world depends on it.” She extinguished the fire with a wave of her wand and turned back to her desk.

“It seems that no matter how hard we try, you two will always be exceptional. Marked by prophecy and dark lords. It is both a wonder and a strain on my patience. You, Miss Granger, have been tasked with awakening an order that has, unfortunately, been lost to us for a millenia.” She called for her elf and ordered a breakfast tray and some tea.

“Long ago, before Hogwarts was even a thought in the heads of the founders, there was an order known as the Guardians. The legend of the Guardians has been lost to us over the years. It is believed that only the descendants of the five original members have the knowledge and the power to restore the wizarding world to its original glory. 

“When the Guardians were formed, it was said to be the most prosperous time in our history. Magical and non magical creatures alike thrived under their care. Magic ebbed and flowed around all of us and no one was left wanting, even the muggles cherished their magical neighbors. Magic helped gardens blossom, kept magical and mundane creatures thriving, made the earth healthy and thriving. They Shared their knowledge and took care of eachother.

“Unfortunately, Uther Pendragon became king. Uther was a deeply flawed and superstitious man. He sowed the seeds of fear and discontent, convinced the kingdom that magic had no place in our world, that instead of loving and living with us, they should destroy us, and so the world changed and the muggles began to loath us. That was the beginning of the separation of magicals and none magicals. 

“Uther’s ascension to the throne forced my ancestor, Hecate, to make a life or death decision. Sacrifice her magic to save us all, or live and let magic die. As you saw in your dream, Miss Granger, she chose sacrifice. Leaving her daughter to be raised by her circle. Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and the child's father, Merlin himself.

“The five of them created multiple magical enclaves to hide our people under secret spells and wards. And so, we thrived, as much as we can, hidden from muggle eyes. I feared that the legend would be lost to us as my children died before I could pass on the knowledge, I am the last of the descendants entrusted with the story of the Guardians. Yet here you sit. The guardian of the Guardians. I never thought I’d see the day.” She finished the story and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, wiping her eyes and nose.

Harry and Hermione sat speechless, their tea and the breakfast plate untouched on the desk in front of them. They watched as McGonagall walked to a portrait of a woman on her wall. She smiled at her.

“It’s time, mother. It is finally time.” The woman smiled and swung forward revealing a stretch of blank stone wall. Minerva drew her wand cast a series of runes Hermione had no hope of catching as she moved too fast. The wall shimmered and then revealed a hole just about eight inches by eight inches. She reached in and pulled out something wrapped in cloth.

Minerva walked over to the desk and placed the wrapped parcel on her desk carefully, slowly peeling away the layers of cloth until it revealed a leather bound journal. The tree of life reaching for Solomon’s knot in the middle. 

Hermione gasped and reached out to touch it. When her skin made contact, her vision went black and she collapsed. Harry followed her down into the darkness. 

Silly children, didn’t they know not to touch a magical object without first preparing your mind? The professor clucked to herself and levitated their prone bodies to the couch and out of the way. She floo called Fangtooth to let him know that there’d be a delay in the children's arrival and then sat down and made herself a cup of tea to wait for them to wake up. 

She was almost giddy with excitement at what was to come. She couldn’t wait to see the Wizengamet’s faces when the ritual was complete. Those stuffy old fools had no idea what was coming to them, it was unfortunate that Albus wasn’t here to see it, he’d be absolutely beside himself. 

* * *

“My Children, I have waited so long to meet you and finally here you are in front of me. " she smiled at them both. 

"My my, aren't you the spitting image of your many greats grandfather? Right down to those bright green eyes. Godric would be absolutely impossible if he were here right now." The woman smiled and cupped his face, looking at him like a mother would. Full of pride and joy. 

Hermione's mind was processing the information at lightning speed. Godric's green eyes? Lily the muggle born, descended from one of the founders? If that didn't turn the pureblood supremacists on their heads, she didn't know what would. 

"And you!" the woman turned to Hermione, her blue eyes crinkling in the corners in obvious delight, black hair moving around her as if they were underwater and not… Where the hell were they anyway? 

"We're neither here nor there, child. We simply are." she gestured around her to the sea of black matter and stars that twinkled like diamonds. 

"Ah, but forgive me. You must have many questions. Of course you do, Salazar's kin would not be any different." she smiled at the again, her fingers running through hermione curls. Salazar! She was descended from Slytherin? The most notorious blood purist in their history? The man must be rolling in his grave.

"Oh, no. Salazar married a mundane woman, he never cared much for that nonsense. I am very cross with my children for spreading that terrible story. You must set them to rights when you take back the power of the Guardians. Now, I have very little time to give you much information so I ask you to forgive me when I cannot answer all of your questions.

"Upon your awakening, the rest of the guardians were woken too. I sense they are confused and fearful of the powers that have been given to them this night. One has embraced them, one has been waiting for them, one will attempt to secret them away. One has risen to the challenge" she looked at Hermione and smiled, and then turned to Harry "And one has had yet another burden placed on their shoulders." 

"Unfortunately the legend has been lost to all but one. It is up to you to bring them together. Use the journal, my descendent has shown you. Perform the ritual tonight, during the full moon, on Samhain when the veil is thinnest and therefore amplifies your magic. All you need will be provided to you in that time. You have until midnight or the Guardians will be lost forever."

She placed her hands on both of their cheeks and smiled. “You will do this. You _will_ change the world.” Everything went black once more and when the two opened their eyes again, they were back in McGonagall’s office. 

“Had yourself a grand little adventure, I take it? Good. Up you get, Miss Granger, Mister Potter. There is work to be done and very little time to do it in.” She handed the journal to Hermione who took it with shaking fingers.

“Hecate seems to have a lot of faith in us, we don’t even know who the others are and yet she expects us to succeed.” Harry said, taking Hermione’s hand in his and clenching it in his anxiety.

“Come now, Potter. You're fresh from the defeat of one of the darkest wizards of our generation. You saved countless lives and led a resistance even while in hiding. This is a piece of cake compared.” She patted his head as if he was a puppy who had finally learned a hard command.

“To the bank with you. Sharprock is waiting and you know goblins have little patience.” she pulled them over to the floo and threw some powder in.

“I have every faith in your abilities to save our world yet again. Now all that is left is for you to have faith in yourselves.” Hermione smiled at her and pulled Harry forward.

“Gringotts Bank!” She shouted. They disappeared in a swirl of green flames.

* * *

Sharprock met them at the floo. He was a thick boned goblin, big for their race and intimidating with his battle axe strapped to his back and his pointed teeth exposed in what Hermione thought was supposed to be a smile but looked more like a grimace.

“You should know, lord Potter, that we have added stringent security measures. You won’t be so lucky as to escape this time if you attempt to steal from us.” It had the makings of a joke but one could never tell with them.

“Follow me.” He led them to the back of the lobby through a pair of heavy oak doors covered in protective runes. They continued down a candle lit hall that seemed to stretch for miles, gently sloping downwards. They were going under the bank it seemed.

“Ragnok has decided to work with you on your...mission. He is the most powerful blood mage we have. You should be grateful. I will be your researcher.” Harry opened his mouth to explain what they’d need but Sharprock silenced him with a look.

“Not until we get to Ragnok’s office. Anyone could be listening here.” he reached up and tapped the tip of his long finger to his nose, winking at them.

Ragnok was seated at his large mahogany desk. There were scrolls and books littered on his desk. Five to be exact. Each one had a name embossed on the cover. 

_Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Wyllt._ The grimoires of all five families. All thought long lost to history, all sitting right here in front of her. Hermione inhaled sharply and moved to stand closer to the desk.

“‘Ah yes, it seems your family magic calls out to you...Lady Slytherin. Please go ahead and take your grimoire. It is your right, after all.” Ragnok smiled at her as she scooped up the book, engulfed in a smoky dark glow of magic when her fingers made contact, she sat down heavily and began to read without further comment. 

She’d discovered that Salazar had been given the gift of potion and spell crafting. His spell work had opened up countless possibilities both for magicals and muggles. His potions had been used to eradicate diseases, ease pain, and extend life. He had drafted laws to protect those who could not project themselves. He was a far different man than she had been taught to believe and she felt guilty over it. It was a legacy she was more than willing to live up to.

“Now it is your turn, Lord Gryffindor. Please take it. It belongs to you after all.” Ragnok smiled when Harry was similarly engulfed in bright white light. He sat down in a chair placed beside Hermione but did not open the book. 

“Hecate said there is work to be done, we only have until midnight to complete this ritual. Do you know anything of it?” Harry asked.

Sharprock moved to the scrolls and began to shuffle them around. It seemed to be star charts and astrological maps. 

“I know a great many things, Lord Potter. I know that we must find the original ritual circle. One that was carved directly beneath a specific constellation. I know that without the other three, you have no hope of completing the ritual. To that end, there are five vials of blood stored deep within the bank in our most secure vault. No one outside of my blood line has ever had access to it. This morning at roughly five AM I awoke with a sudden urge to enter this vault for the first time since my father brought me there as a child. I withdrew the vials and brought them here.” 

He gestured to the mantle above his fireplace where there stood a rack holding five small golden vials stoppered with a different gemstone. Ruby, diamond, emerald, sapphire, and onyx. 

“I will perform a ritual today, one that will point us in the direction of the three you are missing. With any luck, we should be able to get them here with plenty of time to prepare the five of you for the ritual you are to complete tonight. I suggest you get well acquainted with the grimoire, your mate is almost done with hers. _Mate?_ “There is much you need to learn.” Ragnok turned away and drew his staff which was topped with a garnet the color of spilled blood he began to prepare the ingredients he’d need to perform the ritual.

Harry opened the grimoire and read. It was startling to discover that everything he had thought he’d known about werewolves was wrong. The feral anger that came from the moon was not in fact a symptom of the bite, but a punishment that came from the gift being corrupted. 

Godric and the wolves he made had retained their human minds all through the change and had experienced heightened hearing, smell, and sight. It seemed that it would be up to Harry to purify the gift and weed out the corruption from his ranks. His bloodline was meant to be an alpha as Godric had been, and his sons after him. He would do what needed to be done and by the end, they would rejoice in the moon once more.

Ragnok tapped his staff against his desk to get Harry and Hermione's attention. "It is time to find the others." He waived the staff in a wide circle and the vials lifted from their place on the mantle and floated to him. He gestured to two, the onyx and the diamond and they made their way back to the rack. The other three spun in a circle in front of him. He gestured to the sapphire first and the gem lifted, releasing the blood into the air. 

“Ravenclaw, mother of wisdom, guardian of creatures. Show me the one who is to take your place in our time.” the blood swirled in what looked like a tornado and then came to a stop, morphing into a name hanging in the air in front of him. _Luna Lovegood._ The vial disintegrated with the blood.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look. They really shouldn’t be surprised. The girl was one of the most in tune to the world of magical and mundane wildlife they’d ever met, including Hagrid.

“Hufflepuff, mother of fae, guardian of the earth and all of her wonders. Show me the one who is to take your place in our time.” The blood whirled around again. _Neville Longbottom._

“Wicked!” Harry could barely contain himself. Hermione grinned at him. Neville would make a perfect guardian; it would be Neville, the boy who always underestimated himself.

“Wyllt, father of time, guardian of blood. Show me the one who is to take your place in our time.” again the blood in the vial put on a show and when it morphed into the final name every jaw in the room dropped. _Draco Malfoy._

“Well, that is quite unexpected but not exactly surprising. The boy has always shown great talent. Unfortunately his father almost destroyed it. Well, good riddance to bad rubbish as they say.” Ragnok went back to his desk and wrote out a letter which he then duplicated three times. He passed the three scrolls to Sharprock who took them and ran out of the room at a speed very much unheard of for a goblin’s short legs.

_Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

Draco, Luna, and Neville had been called into McGonagall's office. Two of them confused as to why. One of them smiled serenely at the people around her. Suddenly the floo roared to life and Sharprock stepped out.

“Thank you, Professor for having them ready for us.” He turned to the three of them and handed over the scrolls. They took them with shaking fingers and began to read.

_Your presence is formally requested at Gringotts bank. Though I use the word request, you do not have a choice. We have taken care of clearing your schedules for the day in preparation for the ritual you will be undertaking._

_I understand you might be confused but all will be revealed in due time. You three have a duty to magic to see this through. The survival of us all rests on your shoulders and we have every faith that you will rise up to meet it with all of the grace befitting your stations._

_Sharprock will bring you to us where you will claim your inheritance and meet the other members of your order. We anxiously await your arrival._

_Ragnok Bloodstone_

_Blood Mage_

_Director Of Gringotts_

_Chief of the Wild Heart Clan_

Without allowing them even a moment to process what they had just read, Sharprock snapped his fingers and ordered them to follow. 

“Come! We must go. Too much time has been wasted already.” McGonagall simply smirked and waived delicately at them. Luna was the only one to return the gesture.

They entered Ragnok’s office to find the director in a chair at his desk tracing what looked to be a star chart over a map of Britain. Harry and Hermione were seated in cushy armchairs each reading a different book. Three empty chairs completed a circle, a book placed on each one.

“Lady Ravenclaw, Lord Hufflepuff, and Lord Wyllt. It is my honor to welcome you to your future. Please, be seated and educate yourself in the history of your blood. Lord Malfoy, if you would follow me for a moment.” Ragnok snatched up the red book that had been left on one of the chairs and walked to the far corner of his office, away from any curious ears. 

“This belongs to you, Lord Malfoy, as it had once belonged to Merlin, your ancestor. I believe you might be _thirsty_ as well. This is for you.” Ragnok handed over a silver goblet filled with thick red blood. Draco’s pupils dilated as his nostrils flared. He gulped down the liquid life force and instantly felt better. Satiated, energetic, and most of all his mind was completely clear for the first time since he was forced to take the dark mark. His left arm started to tingle and when he pulled his sleeve up he watched as the abomination dissolved before his eyes.

“Yes, it seems Hecate has no tolerance for failed dark lords and their black magic. As for the blood...well, Gringotts has been helping feed the _Vampyr_ for hundreds of years. Though your people wrongfully believed them to be dark creatures intent on death, we have always known the truth of it. Merlin was the first of his kind and was created with the purpose of guarding our very life force. You see, purity does not exist in blood but only in the soul and I believe yours to be more so than most. Open the grimoire and have yourself a good read. I think you’ll be surprised at what you find of your ancestry.” Ragnok walked back to his desk to help Sharprock find the ritual circle they would need.

Draco sat down in the only empty chair, surrounded by people he had once hated, though he couldn’t really remember why. He met each of their eyes and they all nodded at him. An understanding had been reached. There was work to do and no time to indulge in childhood squabbles.

Merlin had been a great man, more so than they’d been taught. He had lived about a hundred years longer than the average wizard. He had used his time wisely. Researching and experimenting the strengths and limitations of his new powers. He had used his friends blood and the blood of his mundane neighbors and had been able to anticipate health issues that would arise in the future. Salazar had helped him discover treatments for them all. 

He had also discovered that in order to turn someone into a _Vampyr,_ They’d have to ingest his blood and then undergo a ritual under a full moon. There was no death, no rabid blood lust. It was a passing down of duty and knowledge, and frankly, it was beautiful.

Neville felt positively joyful while reading Hufflepuff’s grimoire. She had nurtured the very soil she planted with. Bore fruitful harvests for all, their people did not go hungry for decades. There was no famine, no drought. The world around them was a riot of colors all gifted by the Mother. Neville couldn’t wait to restore that beauty. It was beautiful, until he reached the entries about Uther Pendragon. Never again would he allow any lord to destroy what he would build.

Luna however, had no need to read the grimoire, but she did so anyway. She already knew that her duty was to protect and nurture. It was her duty to speak for those that could not speak for themselves but still deserved to be heard. She was a shape-shifter, and she would bring that power back. After all, animagus’ were not confined to the one form they choose. They were wrongfully taught that a wizard did not have the capability to take on the form of any creature they wished, be it magical or not.

* * *

“We’ve found it!” It was nine in the evening when Ragnok had finally discovered the coordinates to the ritual circle. Funnily enough, located on the Gryffindor ancestral seat which could only be reached with Harry’s blood.

By that time Hermone had passed Hecate’s journal around the circle so that each of them would know their role in the ritual. They’d had hours to prepare and they all felt ready to begin. Ragnok crafted a portkey and the seven of them took hold of it.

They were dropped in a beautiful yet overgrown garden, a large manor house stood behind them. They all looked down at their feet and noticed that they were standing in a large stone circle, it looked ancient. A Pentagram was carved into it with different runes spiraling inward until it reached the exact middle of the circle. Hermione recognized the last rune instantly. _Algiz, the protector, the guardian._

If she wasn’t certain before, she definitely was now. She turned to the rest of them.

“Are we ready? Are you all sure about this?” She asked them all.

“Do we have a choice?” Draco asked.

“I have waited years for this.” Luna smiled at them all.

“I can’t wait to tell my gran about this.” Neville said with a grin.

“What’s another prophecy?” Harry laughed and took her hand.

“Take your positions, Gryffindor to the north, Slytherin to the west, Ravenclaw to the east, Hufflepuff to the south west, and Wyllt to the south east. Miss Granger, you start the incantation and move clockwise.

They had changed into ritual robes in the bank and so wasted little time in taking their positions.

“Hail to the Guardians of the north, by the powers of sorcery and creation, hear us!” Hermione's voice took on an otherworldly timbre as she invoked the magic. She sliced her palm open and spilled her blood onto her section of the pentagram. 

“Hail to the Guardians of the east, by the powers of the wild and the magical, hear us!” Luna spoke the words of the rite. She cut her palm and spilled her blood as well.

“Hail to the guardians of the south by the power of blood and life, hear us!” Draco used his wand to slice his palm, spilling his blood on his point of the pentagram. 

The wind picked up whipping their hair into their eyes, caressing them in welcome and gratitude.

“Hail to the guardians of the earth, by the power of the mother, hear us.” Neville added his blood to the ritual. The earth began to rumble beneath their feet.

“Hail to the guardians of the west, by the power of the moon and transformation, hear us!” Harry added his blood to the final point and the wind picked up with a vicious howl. The moon was shining bright, it’s light bathing them in it’s glow. They closed their eyes, feeling the magic flow through them and between them.

“We ask you, mother of magic, Hecate to bless us once again with the gifts of the guardians. We ask you to equip us in order to protect and cleanse our world of the darkness that has been allowed to grow and taint us.” They spoke together invoking the magic that had lain dormant in the circle for a thousand years.

When they opened their eyes they found Hecate standing in the middle just as she had all that time ago.

“Blessed be my children, I restore upon you my gifts. It is your destiny and your duty to protect the sanctity of magic. I know that you will succeed, you will bring the balance back. Follow your instincts and trust in each other and all will fall into place as it should.” She smiled at them, reaching out to touch each in turn.

Hermione shivered when the woman touched her, magic sparked on her fingertips and the ends of her hair. 

“Trust your magic, daughter. It is your duty to protect them.” She swept her arm out to encompass the four others standing in the circle.

Hecate turned to Luna and touched her cheek, Luna smiled and in a wave of blue magic, transformed into a unicorn, glowing in the light of the moon. 

“Beautiful as ever, and just as pure as the form you choose this night. Rowena could not have chosen better.”

On to Draco, she made a cut on her wrist and brought it to his mouth to drink. 

“Do not fear your powers, my son. For it will bring you wisdom enough to change everything.” Draco drank from the cut and when he moved away his skin had begun to glow with magic.

She continued to Neville and reached up to cup his cheek. The grass grew to his knees, tickling him and making him want to giggle. 

“You are a true fae, my son. Have faith in the Mother. Protect her.”

Finally she turned to Harry. Her smile was the biggest for him.

“So much pain, so much loss, so much sacrifice for one so young and yet here you stand, ready to take on yet another burden. You are truly the son of Godric. You will be rewarded, all of you. Have faith and take heart. Your work has only just begun.” When she touched him, a wave of blinding white magic exploded, blinding them all for a moment. When it dissipated, a beautiful black wolf stood in Harry’s place. His green eyes glowed in the night.

“Our circle is open and remains unbroken. Blessed be.” She smiled peacefully at them all and disappeared in a burst of magic. The wind died down, the glow of the moon retreated, the ground stopped trembling, and an oppressive quiet settled down upon them.

“I will give you this night to enjoy your magic, to learn about yourselves and each other. Tomorrow the real work begins. I expect to see you all at the bank by ten. There is plotting to be done, corrupt governments to dismantle, and dark creatures to destroy. Enjoy yourselves...for now.” Ragnok clapped his hands together and rubbed them. He looked like a villain straight out of a muggle movie. 

Hermione laughed and Harry barked as the goblins portkeyed away. The five of them looked at each other and with excited whoops, ran to the forest to stretch their newly found legs. Tomorrow they would begin their duty as guardians. Tonight however, they were young, they were wild, and they were free.

  
  
  



End file.
